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The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Search and Rescue Unit is an organization of paid and non-paid professionals dedicated to saving lives through rescue, emergency medicine, and safety education. It is our duty to provide the highest level of skill and best possible care to those who call upon us for help. Serving Red Rock, Mt. Charleston, Lake Mead, and Southern Nevada.

Every year, the Mountain Rescue Team along with the Air Unit take to the skies to practice short haul and fast rope techniques. Since everything that these Units do take practice, this session serves as an annual certification to all Officers, Pilots and Volunteers.

This year, Hau Ngo came out to photograph the events of the day. View the entire set here.

It's been an incredible week in the Las Vegas Valley for rain and thunderstorms, which makes this the perfect time of year to read all about flash floods and keeping yourself safe. These types of storms are common in the desert in and around our City, so if you hear of flash flood warnings in the area, be cautious. The best thing to do is to stay in doors.

Here's an article from 2003 of a rescue that our Unit performed during a flash flood storm. Our rescue personnel and helicopters plucked numerous people from the top of their cars, including a Las Vegas Firetruck, as flood waters consumed their vehicles. Don't let this happen to you!

This year's Mountain Rescue Basic's class is in full swing! Fourteen people were selected out of our initial interview process to attend this class, which will run until the end of November. Future volunteers will be selected from the participants who successfully complete the class.

During the Basic's class, attendees learn fundamental mountain rescue techniques that are used by the Unit to conduct its missions. The first is being able to physically do the job. Here's the class participating in a PT session.

Once PT is complete, the class typically hits the classroom where they are exposed to the lesson of the day.

After a specific topic is covered, attendees head outside where they have the opportunity to learn hands-on techniques. In this picture, the group is building an anchor system:

And finally, the reward. Here's a picture of one of the class members rappelling off of the tower.

So far, the class has learned how to tie essential knots, including the water knot and the family of figure-8's. Class members have also been exposed to the rescue equipment that is used by the Unit, anchor systems, raising and lowering systems, and have had the opportunity to rappel using both low and high anchor points.